Gate



July 13, 192e. 1,592,251

l.. BEI/RDA GATE , IN VEN TOR. 5a/r 554/7@ ATTORNEY.

July 13, 1926;,

1,592,251 L. BEARQ GATE 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 l ATTORNEY.

@Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED stares LEWIS BEARD, OF ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO.

GATE.

This invention relates to gates, more par' ticularly of the type used in rural districts,

and adapted to be operated from the seat of a vehicle approaching the gate without it being necessary for the driver to dismount.

The gate is of the type arranged to swing upwardly from the roadway and has for its principal object the provision of a gate of this character which will be in absolute ballU ance with a counterweight at all points of its arc of swing, so that the power required to open or close the gate is uniform at all times, and need be suiiicient only to overcome thisbalance.

y Another object is to so balance a gate of this characterso there will be no Adead center point.

Still another object is to so construct the gate that it will be inherently braced against 2 0 side sway or wind pressure.

A further object is to pro-vide a latch mechanism which will lock the gate in lthe closed position and which will automatically Vunlock when pressure is. applied to raise the ate. Y g A still further object is to construct a gate Aof this character in which all pivots, weights, and other operating parts are well above the groundvsurface so that they will be unaffected by snow or other weather conditions.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction 'of the invention, which is Adesigned for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparentfrom the following description.

' In the following detailed description of `the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms apart hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all 4o views Iof the drawing and throughout the description.

1n the drawing:

Fig. lis a perspective vew of my improved gate in the closed position.

V4:5 Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the gate in the open position. p

Fig. 4 is a detail view of thelatch mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a detail viewshowing the method Application led ctober 6, 1925. Serial No. 60,719.y

Secured to the axle shaft 11 are two spaced apart vertical gate posts 13. Fence wire is stretched around the two vertical posts 13 and the gate post 12 forming a tr'- angular gate structure with the axle bar 11 for its base. A yoke 37, carrying a spindle 14, is secured to each extremity of the axle bar 11. These spindles ride in bushings 15 in two tall uprights 16, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 6.

Two brackets 17 project rearwardly from the uprights 16 and support a cross bar 18, pivoted thereon as shown at 19. Secured to the cross bar 18 is a weight lever 20 upon the long arm of which is carried a counterweight 21, while the short arm of the weight lever, is connected by means of a chain 22 to the longitudinal bar 10 of the gate. The distance from the axle bar 11 to the point of connection of the chain 22 on the bar 10 is equal to the short arm o-f the lever 20, that is, equal to the distance from the cross bar 18 to the connecting point of the chain 22 upon the lever 20. By this construction, the weight lever 20 and the longitudinal bar 10 are virtually continuations of a single bar having its balance or pivot point at the axle bar 11. lVere Vthis a continuous bar, however, there would not be sufficient room for the lever bar 20 to swing, but by raising the lever bar and connecting it to the bar 10 by means of the chain 22, I obtain all the eifect of a balanced continuous lever, but have suiiicient room for the c0unterweight to swing above'the ground.

The counterweight 21 has sufficient weight to perfectly balance the gate structure and,

as the gate raises, the counterweight lowers in v an equal arc so that this perfect balance is maintained from the closed position to the fully open position and the gate will rest in any oi" these positions unless external power is applied. I apply this external power by means of two pairs of operating arms extending substantially in Opposite directions along the roadway to a convenient position for a vehicle driver.

In each pair of operating arms there is an opening arm 23 and a closing arm 2a. Each pair oi operating arms is connected at its outward extremity by means of a chain 25 which extends 1between and depends from these arms. By employing a single chain connected at its extremity to the loperating ari-ns, the lowerniost part of the chain remains at a uniform height above the ground regardless of the position of the arms, for as one arm moves upward, the other arm moves downward an equal amount.

An operating cable 26 extends between, and depends from, the other extremities of the opening and closing arms Q3 and 24 respectively of each pair ot' operating arms. rthese operating cables 26 pass under the axle bar li and are secured to the lower side thereof as shown at 27 in Fig. 5. The lower jface of the axle bar is rounded to r'orm a bearing for the operating cables 26, as shown in this ligure. It can be seen that operation orn the levers Q3 and 2l will act to rotate the axle bar ll and overcome the balance between the gate and the counterweight 2l. Since the fastening point .27 is but a short distance from the pivot line of the axle bar 1l, very little movement of the cables will serve to swing the gate from the fully open to the fully closed positions, and, since the gate is always in balance, this short movement can be easily imparted.

The gate is maintained in the closed position by means of a latch bolt 28 shown in detail in Fig. l. rIhe latch bolt is carried on the longitudinal bar lO and passes through the gate post 12 to contact with a latch bar 29 carried on short stationary prights 50, which aie arranged to receive the gate when in the closed position. rI'he latch bolt 2S is maintained in its extended position by means of a spring` 3l and is withdrawn by means of latch cables 32. The latch cables 82 extend rearwardly at each side ot the longitudinal bar l() and terminate in rings '33, through which, those portions or the operating cable 26, which connect with the opening bars 23, pass. By this construction, the rst movement of the opening bar serves to withdraw the latch bolt Q8 and release the gate. Further movement raises the gate.

The operating arms 9.3 and 24 are braced by means of diagonal braces 3a extending from a cross aar which is pivoted to the upright IG as shown at 40. By pivoting this cross bar it rocks with the movement of the operating arms so as to accommodate the changing positions of the braces 3%. The weight lever 2O is strengthened by placing a truss rod 3G along its upper side which extends throughout the length otl the lever arm.

The fence, illustrated at 38, may be terminated at one of the uprights 1G at one side of the roadway and, on the other side thereof, may be carried around a corner post 39 and terminated on one of the uprights 30.

To illustrate the operation otl the pivoted cross bar 35, let us assume that the lever 2l is pulled downwardly, as illust-rated in Fig. l. rIhis will cause the angle brace 3l of this lever to pull downwardly upon the extremity of the cross bar 35, because of the fact the pivot point 40 is above the pivot points of the levers 23 and let. This pull of the angle brace 3l will cause the cross bar 35 to rock downwardly over the lever 24 and upwardly over the lever 23. The upward moving extremity of the cross bar 35 will draw upon its angie brace 34 to assist in raising the lever The movement of the cross bar 35 is but slight. It is suiiicient, however, to maintain the angle braces 3st taut at all times so that they will effectively brace the levers 23 and 24.

While a speciic form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire secured by Letters Patent is l. A vertically swinging gate comprising a longitudinal bar; a horizontal axle bar secured at one extremity of said longitudinal bar; pivots carried at the extremities of said axle bar; uprights for carrying said pivots; operating means carried above said pivots on said uprights, said operating means coniprising a pair of levers pivoted to said uprights; a flexible medium connecting the extremities or' levers and passing under said axle bar; a cross bar pivoted t0 said uprights adjacent said lever, and angle braces extending from the extremities of said cross bar to said levers.

In a vertically opening gate having a pair of uprights pivoted to one extremity of said gate; means for counter-balancing said gate arranged below its upper extremity when in the raised position, said means coinprising brackets extending rearwardly from said uprights; a rotatable cross bar extending between said brackets; a weight arm secured at the midpoint of said cross bar and flexible means securing one extremity of said weight arm to said gate.

3. In a vertically opening gate mechanism, a gate comprising a longitudinal beam; a horizontal shaft secured at its midpoint to one extremity of said beam; pivots arranged at the extremity of said axle shaft; vertical gate posts secured adjacent their middle to the other extremity of said beam, and at each extremity ofsaid axle shaft; andan endless flexible fence passed around all of said vertical posts forming a triangular structure acting to brace said longitudinal beam.

1l. In a vertically operating gate structure, means for bracing said gate against side sway comprising, a rigidT-shaped supporting frame; and tension members surrounding said frame so as to form a triangular gate structure.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

LEWIS BEARD. 

